Gaming machines generally allow a user to play a main game specific to the gaming machine and then enter a bonus round to win extra game credits or game tokens. Generally, the bonus round is triggered by an event occurring during the main game. Once into the bonus round, the user engages in a bonus game to win the extra credits or tokens. Generally, a user is not given prizes separately in the bonus round, but transferred back into the main game upon completion of the bonus game. The extra game credits or game tokens are added on to the main game total and given to the user at the end of the main game.
There are a number of prior art devices that distribute prizes other than game tokens or game credits. For instance, one category of prior art devices includes automated games of chance where the machine dispenses a pull-tab ticket. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,385 to Clapper, Jr. discloses an electronic apparatus for dispensing pull-tab tickets containing game scoring indicia. If the ticket is a winning ticket, than the user may redeem it for a number of prizes including cash. This type of device is designed to allow for game play in jurisdictions where typical gaming machines are not allowed. Another type of prior art device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,042 to Dietz, II et al. is designed to look like a conventional gaming machine such as a slot machine. The machine is not real gaming machine, however. The machine presents a typical three-by-three matrix display of symbols similar to conventional slot machines, but the display is not randomly generated. Instead the display imitates the pattern of a pull-tab coupon that is dispensed from the machine each time the machine is played. Finally, other prior art, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,000 to Sanchez, III et al., emphasizes device that are designed to provide a high level of security on conventional gaming ticket dispensing machines. These machines only dispense gaming tickets, and do not provide gaming tickets according to game play. The security is achieved by using different manners of coding on the gaming tickets that may be redeemed at other locations.